EXCELLENCE

AWARDS for

& JUDGES
COMMENTS

RESULTS

2012

Best news item

sponsored by Bible Society Australia

JS

GOLD Our changing face by Rebecca DiGirolamo in The Southern Cross (Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide), June 2011
This article points to a significant shift in Catholic church-going in South Australia. Prompted by census data, Rebecca goes on the front foot to interview local church officials and reveals a changing face among Catholic migrants. Which goes to show how a keen journalist can nail a front-page lead from official statistics. Fluent, curious and wellordered, Rebecca is a natural reporter.

they did not score highly in these awards because they were essentially reactive pieces. A bigger challenge facing the religious press is to find compelling and original stories on its own turfthat is, among the daily lives of ordinary church-goers. The stories and personalities are there, but they generally fall below the radar of the secular press.

Best feature (single author)

sponsored by Church Resources

CH

GOLD Breaking the spellVoldemort and lightning by Scott Monk in Southern Cross (Anglican Diocese of Sydney), July 2011
A very accomplished feature on a topical subject, links between Harry Potter and the occult. Written with confidence and balance, presenting contrasting views and drawing on a rich range of sources. Very engaging and stylish writing.

SILVER Practising but cant get into Catholic schools by Peter Grace in NZ Catholic, 9-22 October 2011
This story highlights the growing pressure on integrated schools to accommodate diverse applicants within their geographical areas. It would have been strengthened by actual numbers of applicants as opposed to places, along with details of a satisfactory enrolment scheme. But Peter has put in the legwork by gaining comments from several college principals as well as the Catholic Education Office, and he has crafted his findings succinctly.

SILVER The healing game by Michael Fitzsimons in Tui Motu InterIslands, May 2011
This profile of one of New Zealands leading actors explores the motivations that underlie his long-standing work with youth at risk. It includes many powerful quotes and skillfully weaves together his life of faith and social action. Using an economy of language, this feature captures the exuberance and colour of its subject. Genuinely inspirational.

BRONZE Waste not want not by Stephen Webb in Insights (United Church in Australia, Synod of NSW & the ACT), June 2011
This articleabout a project to deliver waste produce to hungry familiesis written more as a feature than a news story. The reader therefore has to plough through seven paragraphs of scene-setting before getting to the actual goodies. But all credit to Stephen for unearthing such a good cause, which may expand to charities all over NSW and the ACT. This is a grassroots initiative that deserves wider exposure. General Comments: A number of entries arose from natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. While these were handled competently,

BRONZE Abbey Road by Jenny Brinkworth in The Southern Cross (Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide), March/April 2011
This feature follows its subjects life-changing decision to become a Benedictine nun. It sheds light on an area that is often shrouded in mystery and succeeds in capturing something of the strength and simplicity that is a hallmark of monastic life. Fascinating and enlightening. General Comments: Feature writing is a broad category, encompassing many different types of writing. This category attracted 43 entries with a very high standard overall. The winning entries exhibited the hallmarks of strong feature

writinganchored in specific observations and telling details, with powerful direct quotes. They are well-organised, stylish pieces of writing, which hold reader interest to the last word. Most of the entries were of a very high standard and show an openness to tackling a very broad range of topics.

personal profiles, contrasting opinion. Many excellent features in this category with the winners being outstanding. The winning publications are congratulated on their willingness to deal with topical issues and deal confidently with complex subjects.

Best feature (multiple authors)

sponsored by Ansvar Insurance

Best editorial/opinion piece

sponsored by Ansvar Insurance

AM

AM

GOLD Social media: virtual and virtuous? by the Insights Team (editor Marjorie Lewis-Jones) in Insights (Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW & the ACT), October 2011
A very well-researched feature, skillfully and fluently presenting many points of view on a subject of great topical interest. Very balanced exploration of how social media is affecting the life and mission of the church.

GOLD Talking about disaster is everyones job by Norm Hunter in Focus (Anglican Diocese of Brisbane), February 2011
This article is topical, well-written and the ideas flow easily from point to point, which make it very easy to read. Underlined in the text are a series of valuable catechetical points: take your students seriously; listen to them and engage with their queries and problems; do not pretend that you or the Church have all the answers and more. Parents and teachers reading this would be challenged and instructedas I was. An outstanding piece.

SILVER How do religion + science mix? editor Michael McVeigh in Australian Catholics (Jesuit Communications), Winter 2011
A thoughtful, balanced, well-researched treatment of a complex topic. It incorporated a range of perspectives and tones and holds reader interest throughout. Very well-written and always engaging.

SILVER Gold in Christchurch by Jim Consedine in Tui Motu InterIslands, March 2011
A beautifully written, delightful account of the International Paralympics, held the previous month in Christchurch. It contains a series of arresting images and inspiring stories of triumph over disability. But, as the author points out, it also provided a signal example of the values of the Kingdom of God lived out by all involved, which typified the best of the human spirit. An inspiring article.

BRONZE Has Rob Bell cooled the fires of hell? by Marty Foord & Benjamin Myers (editor John Sandeman) in Eternity (Bible Society Australia), September 2011
A provocative readtwo opposing views on Rob Bells book Love Wins. A smart way of presenting a feature on hell. Well-written reviews with contrasting theologies. Simple and very effective. General Comments: Big variations in quality among the 24 entries in this category, and a great variety of subjects and approaches. The strength of this category is the scope it provides to present a range of information/different perspectives on a topicfactual information, commentary and analysis, human interest and

BRONZE Mediainformation or misinformation by Penny Mulvey in Crosslight (UCA, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania) December 2011
A hard hitting, well argued piece on the contemporary prostitution of the popular Press to fashion and big money. Sadly, enlightened Christian comment on major issues is excluded from the media and confined to church papers. A timely article, which could have been improved by better editing.

General Comments: A great variety of topics containing much interesting material. In nearly every case the themes were well presented and argued with due passion. In my opinion, some entries were in the wrong category: too long for either editorials or opinion pieces. Many publications use sans serif fontsI know its the fashion, but they make long pieces more difficult to read. A few editors seemingly do not know what paragraphs are for. The job of an editor, surely, is to make their material as attractive to read as possible.

Best faith reflection

sponsored by Bible Society NZ GOLD Doing it well: eating as a spiritual act by Simon Carey Holt in Zadok Perspectives, Summer 2011

FB

This piece ticked all the boxes: well written, based on common human experience, woven together with research, infused with faith, and carefully structured and presented. Theres a universality about the topic that speaks of the sacral nature of human experience, making it widely accessible. The writer succeeds in balancing deep spirituality with issues of global justice, while illustrating with personal stories. A delight to read an article both beautifully constructed and inspirational.

piece from a reflection on personal experience to a meditation on the toll of passing judgement. As such it brings prayer into the conflicted heart of consigning another person to punishment, while attempting to hold to grace. Forceful. General Comments: A large number of entries focussed on theodicy in the light of natural disasters, presumably reflecting events of the recent past. The other category frequently traversed was that of seasons in the Church yearparticularly Easter and Advent. A number of the articles were of the homily varietya simple pep talk for the faithful. As a judge I was looking for material that had a wider perspectiveone that brought Christian resources and symbols to bear on the raw material of human life i.e. applying faith to life rather than life to faith. With some notable exceptions, the tone of the writing is (not surprisingly) that of speaking to a select constituency. As an overall comment, it seems to me that category 5 would benefit from some further guidance from ARPA as to the ways in which it is distinguished from category 6.

Best theological reflection

sponsored by Bible Society Australia GOLD Interview with John Lennox by Roland Ashby in TMA (The Melbourne Anglican) September & October 2011

JS

SILVER Sexual orientationa familys story by Greg Byrne in Aurora (Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle), May 2011
Heartfelt, personal, and insightful. This piece by a parishioner consults outside sources, reflects deeply on a contentious issue, and brings a perspective both conciliatory and compelling. It demonstrates good style and structure, and engages the reader.

A wide-ranging interview with Oxford Professor John Lennox, this piece is thorough while engaging issues such as the New Atheism and evolution at a level that allows a wide readership to digest. Well-prepared questions result in a conversation that is both devotional and meaty. There was some question as to whether a transcribed interview qualifies as an article, but of all the material submitted it contained the clearest level of theological reflection.

BRONZE Easter and Anzac Day, the verdict is delivered by anon (name withheld) in Crosslight (UCA, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania), May 2011
Vivid writing and a metaphorical style lift this

SILVER The Dean looks atMary Magdalene by Peta Sherlock in The Spirit (Anglican Diocese of Bendigo), August 2011
While a transcript of a sermon, the article is very readable. The topic is somewhat ecclesial

and in-house, but the perspective is that of the place of the church in the world. As such it engagingly recognises the signs of the times and encourages a response which is at once personal and structural.

BRONZE A response to the news of the death of Osama bin Laden by Swee-Ann Koh in Crosslight (UCA, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania), June 2011
A nuanced discussion of the distinction between justice and revenge, on both the personal and geopolitical level. General Comments: While recognising the constraints of the readership being targeted, the quality of the entries in this category was somewhat disappointing. Some of the entries were purely devotionals and clearly in the wrong category. As a judge Im advised to consider such factors as the depth of argument and the scope of its vision. These were the areas most deficient in the proffered pieces. The articles that have been given awards were among the few that tackled the serious theological issues that face Christianity in this age. Serious theological reflection doesnt necessitate obscure writing; in many ways it calls for clear expression and simplicity of argument. There is plenty of room for improvement in overall quality in this category.

follow porn sites or head off on sex tourism junkets. We are all complicit through our dependence on goods that would not fall in the fair trade category, or for being unaware of tell-tale signs in the community which could lead to the rescue of a trafficked person. The layout of the article is exceptional with boxes such as ten things you should know about human trafficking, and what can you do to end slavery. The article opened my eyes to dimensions of human trafficking of which I was unaware, and I saw it as having major consciousness-raising capacity, along with a spur to action.

SILVER Reform or BUST by Judy Adamson in Southern Cross (Anglican Diocese of Sydney), December 2011
This was a well-researched article on problem gambling, relating especially to electronic forms of gambling (pokies) in Australia, along with lotteries, casinos and racing. There was excellent analysis of the money expended, the amounts lost by those who cannot afford it, broken relationships that follow, the minimal amounts returned to the community, and our own complicity as ordinary citizens through gambling, or meals at clubs where low prices are made possible by subsidies from pokie machine profits. The ethical dimensions were clear, as were the opportunities for churches and concerned citizens to be active on a problem which is extensive but often hidden from view. The article was well laid out with graphs, and accessible to the reader.

Best story on social justice

sponsored by Ansvar Insurance

AM

GOLD People for sale by Lyndal Irons in Insights (UCA, Synod of NSW & the ACT), Aug 2011
Human trafficking is something we tend, in the absence of better information, to associate with Asia. This article illuminates the extent of this modern slave trade with graphic personal stories of what it looks like, and a thoroughgoing analysis of the extent of the trade which covers everything from the forced prostitution of 12-year old girls to the slave labour of workers far away who produce our coffee and chocolate. For westerners, it is clear the problem cannot be limited to a minority of fellow-citizens who

BRONZE Just stop having babies? by Donna Mulhearn in Aurora (Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle), April 2011
Donna Mulhearn is a young woman who has spent time in the dusty, war-torn town of Fallujah in Iraq. Here at the city hospital she has encountered the tragedy of 1000 babies every year being born with severe deformities which began a year after intense US military attacks in 2004. It is alleged that uranium and

white phosphorus were used in the attacks. At the same time there was an increase in adult cancers and leukaemia. Local gynaecologists have recommended to the women of Fallujah that they stop having babies because of the high risk of deformities. Here is a story that is heart-wrenching in terms of the tragedy inflicted upon babies, their mothers and a whole community. It is accompanied by good analysis, offers a clear moral challenge, and links to a website for personal information and response.

Best review of another medium

sponsored by Ansvar Insurance

AM

GOLD 60th anniversary of the Blake Prize by Karen Finch in Parish Connections (St James Anglican Parish, King Street Sydney), October 2011
Karen Finchs overview of the Blake Prize for Religious Art, and its sometimes controversial history, shows her ability to communicate clearly about art to the lay person. In fact her writing is so good that I felt that I could well have grasped the significance of the three main artworks she describes without the accompanying pictures. This is high quality prose.

HIGHLY COMMENDED Caste aside by Linda Macqueen in The Lutheran, June 2011
General Comments: It was a very moving experience to read the 30 stories entered in this category, telling as they did of a wide range of creative, enterprising and at times risky projects churches and committed individuals undertake in the cause of justice and well-being for the forgotten and vulnerable in todays world. The entries were of a uniformly high standard, and distinguishing between them was not an easy task. I assessed each story under various headings. Of primary importance was the content of the articlefacts and figures, personal examples, analysis, points of view by way of reflection. I assessed the style and format of each story: did it engage me? Was it laid out accessibly with illustrations, quotations, boxed stories? What of the theology and ethics? Not a theological essay or homily, for theology can be implicit as well as explicit, but was there a discernible faith/ethics dimension woven into the story? Finally, did the story challenge me to action, and were there avenues set out whereby readers might take up the challenge offered in the story? Thank you to all who entered, and to all of whom the stories told. It is inspirational to read of the multiplicity of projects in which so many engage, and of the story-telling ability of those who get the stories out to the rest of us who need to know.

SILVER Boys learning sin and sex by Tim Kroenert (Film Review of The Tree of Life) in Eureka Street (Jesuit Communications), 29 June 2011
One of three entrants who reviewed this film, Tim Kroenert performed a skillful unwrapping of the films complexities for his readers. I was particularly impressed by the coherence and unity of this review, with the author drawing the reader logically from paragraph to paragraph, yet without any sense of talking-down to his audience. He has an extensive vocabulary coupled with a fine sense of style. Thus he produces such splendid judgements as the films most striking feature is how it portrays ordinariness with such truth and beauty that it is rendered extraordinary.

BRONZE CD reviews by Rhett Snell in NZ Baptist, April/September 2011

Rhett Snells CD reviews show a sound command of his wide-ranging subject and an ability to use marvellously evocative phrases like screamo heavyweights. His articulate and interesting reviews are the kind of music reviews you read even when you arent interested in music. General Comments: Judging these reviews lifted my heart. All 17 entries showed the reviewers demonstrating a high standard of analytical writing and a sound grasp of the English

language. I admired the range of the reviews and their authors willingness to take on big issues and do some hard thinking about them. Yet each writer also showed an ability to express themselves clearly. And all this was done in a Christian context. I was impressed. Although I have selected three Award winners, I am aware that this category compares apples with bananas. Of the 18 entries, seven were book reviews, six were film reviews, two reviewed DVDs and there was one CD review. There was also a review of an art exhibition and a blog on the introduction of a revised mass. Two of the entries were published on the internet; the remaining 16 came from magazines. Although they dealt with different media, I found that all the reviewers demonstrated an awareness of their field and also seemed to have a clear audience in mind. An area which impressed me (though it played no part in the judging) was the generally high standard of the editing and layout of the pages. I only spotted two typos and one punctuation error in my reading and there were no dud sentences. Of course some of the publications have a wider circulation and more staff than others but even the parish magazines included were of a high standard. A special mention has to be made of The Lutheran, where their imaginatively set-out Bookmarks section displays P.J. ORourkes advice, Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
[This judge also made brief helpful comments on each entry. They will be emailed to all the entrants in this category.]

SILVER Full time by Michael McGirr in The Majellan, July-Sept 2011

Well written article that used the AFL/sporting theme throughout without labouring the analogy too much.

BRONZE Wasted on the young by Carla Bergmeier in Crosslight (UCA, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania) November 2011.
A humorous look at a subject which I know troubles parents in Australiagood advice presented tongue-in-cheek. General Comments: The sporting analogy was a recurring theme in this categorya nod to our collective sporting culture. Good standard, though I felt some material could have been edited down to better effect.

Best new writer

GOLD The basket by Michele ONeill in Marist Messenger, September 2011

AS

Michele handles a highly emotive subject unexpected pregnancywith skill and sensitivity. She begins the article with a nice teaser, and then builds her narrative with good quotes and careful timing. She writes clearly and succinctly, and rounds off her article deftly by incorporating the experience of her sister Jane.

Best humourous item

AS

GOLD In ancient times when I was young by Beryl Rule in TMA (The Melbourne Anglican), October 2011
A nicely crafted piecedialogue well-written and easy to read. An engaging column that retained my interest from start to finish. (Our nine-year-old read the piece from start to finish and loved it.)

SILVER War and famine in my homeland by Andrew Juma in Crosslight (UCA, Synod of Victoria & Tasmania), August 2011
This is a well-constructed reflection on the drought in East Africa. Andrew explains the politics of the region and pulls together some causes of the human tragedy. He writes clearly and authoritatively as one who has grown up in Africa and therefore knows the terrain.

BRONZE Getting the media we deserve by Justin Glyn in Eureka Street (Jesuit Communications), 20 July 2011.

Justin ventures into the minefield of media ethics and concludes we largely get what we want from our press. Its a complex subject, and Justin offers a quick thoughtful analysis. He might have scored higher had he taken more space to delve deeper.

textural background imagery. Particularly like the vertical poster format in centre.

Best front cover

SILVER Signs of the Times (Adventist Media Network) designers Shane Winfield and Loo Peck Lim
Nice typography and layout. Good variation of text size and story length ensures the tempo of the magazine keeps changing. Perhaps too much use of similar stock library portrait images. Impactful for a small-format publication.

sponsored by Church Resources GOLD Fair Trade designer Richard Lewis in On Fire (Salvation Army Australian Southern Territory), 7 May 2011

CH

Communicates a complicated theme with a clever illustration. Perhaps a subheading would further enhance communication.

BRONZE The Guardian (Anglican Diocese of Adelaide) layout & design Stephen Daughtry
An unusually pictorial approach to the front page is great. Good use of photography and colour. Pull quotes used to add variety, as do the contents at bottom of cover. General Comments: Generally good quality overall. Many entries could be enhanced with more variation in size of text. For example have a dominant article on each spread rather than everything being weighted evenly. Also better to tighten up line spacing and give more white space, or enlarge photos, rather than let the text fill the page.

SILVER Working with the working girls designer Richard Lewis in On Fire (Salvation Army Australian Southern Territory), 5 November 2011
Has a strength in its simplicity. The stocking and high heels image communicates very well. Headline text could have more contrast with background colour.

BRONZE The bitter taste of human trafficking in War Cry (Salvation Army NZ, Fiji & Tonga) 24 September 2011
The link to the headline is perhaps tenuous but the strong photograph has immediate impact. General Comments: Many covers had cover lines that were not descriptive enough. For some entries it was hard to tell what the story was about. Some covers had many cover lines, but it was hard to tell which one the photo was connected to.

Best headline

AS

GOLD Women: finding faith beyond that fateful fruit editor Caryn Rogers in New Times (UCA, Synod of South Australia), May 2011
Excellent use of alliterationthe title has a poetic quality and draws you into the issue.

Best layout
GOLD Intermission (NZ Church Missionary Society) editor Sophia Sinclair
Landscape format is distinctive. Strong photography and typography coveys a gritty modern feel. Nice colour palette and use of

SILVER iPod, iPad iDol in Southern Cross (Anglican Diocese of Sydney), October 2011
Very catchy, contemporary title. Has an intriguing quality that draws you into the article. Good use of white space around the title.

AS

BRONZE Porkies in the pokies battle editors David & Roslyn Phillips in VoxPoint (Family Voice Australia), May 2011

A good, catchy and humorous title fun alliteration. General comments: The standard overall was quite good. All 14 entries had their merits, making the decision quite difficult.

SILVER Theres a time to be born and a time to die artist Donald Moorhead in Tui Motu Interislands, February 2011
Nicely crafted graphic dealing with a difficult subject. Good strong use of colour a powerful image.

Best original photograph

JMS

GOLD In the fathers hands photographer Fiona Basile in Kairos Catholic Journal (Archdiocese of Melbourne), Feb-March 2011
This is technically and emotionally a very strong image, with the photo taken at a very arresting anglehands in the foreground in focus, with the rest of the baby becoming less in focus towards the feet. The image suggests both strength and vulnerability.

BRONZE Living between the cross and the resurrection art director Steve Mason in Southern Cross (Anglican Diocese of Sydney), September 2011
Lovely bold artwork with a rough wood-cut feel. Like the way the image interacted with the text in the articlegreat to see roughs of the progression as well. General Comments: Good to see a contemporary treatment being given to difficult concepts. Using the Wheres Wally/Waldo concept in winning entry makes the cover modern and engagingand fun.

SILVER Praise the Lord, O my soul photographer John Wilson in Voice of the Martyrs, Jan 2011
Again, technically and emotionally, the image packs a punch. The face is strong and arresting, with an effective blurring of the images at the edges. Nothing is more powerful than a beautiful, smiling close-up of a human being.

Creativity award

AS

BRONZE O come all ye faithful photographer Kerry Myers in The Catholic Weekly (Archdiocese of Sydney), 18 December 2011
A beautiful image with a real poster quality. Great camera angle. General comments: A good standard of photography and an enjoyable task to judge them. Each entry works very well in its particular context.

GOLD What are you hungry for this Easter? by the Journey team in Journey (UCA, Synod of Queensland), Easter 2011 video
Journeys entry stood out due to the simplicity of its conception yet excellence of execution. The format is a series of talking heads explaining what they are hungry for in Easter. The production values are highsubjects are well lit in settings they clearly feel comfortable in, bringing their personalities to the fore. Sound, editing and on screen captions are all of a high standard. Uploading the vid to YouTube is also a great idea, enabling it to be viewed by the widest possible audience. http://youtube/FE-vvy68SIQ

Best original art work

JMS

GOLD Wheres Jesus? illustrator Martin Wilkinson in War Cry (Salvation Army NZ, Fiji & Tonga), December 2011
Loved the clean, contemporary art work. Lots to look at, and kept going back for another peek. Wrap-around image going all the way around publication worked. Great!

SILVER Missing a mark graphic novel liftout by Les Colston & Caryn Rogers, in New Times (UCA, Synod of South Australia), June 2011
More edgy in subject matter and medium, Missing a mark is highly commended.

The brightly colored mix of photography and illustration evokes the intensity of experience common to youth, enticing a demographic familiar with the fast-paced world of comics. Missing successfully grapples with essential questions without sacrificing narrative pace.

BRONZE The Gippsland Anglican editor Jeanette Severs

Very little of the content is other than local, giving The Gippsland Anglican a strong regional emphasis, and that which is imported is re-worked to emphasise the local angle. The high number of photographs featuring Gippsland people is laudable but fewer of better quality would improve page appeal. General Comments: A regional paper should be more than news about local events, important though that is. Including relevant and carefullyselected material from beyond diocesan boundaries and linking it to regional issues broadens readers horizons. There is a tendency to recycle church agency press releases and use supplied church stories which do little but fill spaces, understandable though this is for the often minimal and hard-pressed multi-tasking staff.

BRONZE Biblical anatomy by Caryn Rogers in New Times (Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of South Australia), July 2011
Simple yet visceral, the layout draws the reader in with its graphic anatomical illustration and encourages further reading. General Comments: A very mixed bag! Overall standard was mixed. IMO a creative entry should have at its heart a spark of something new, or at least a fresh juxtaposition of familiar elements. Rapidly advancing technology enables creative types to present essential truths in ways not seen, or heard, previously. The internet in particular provides opportunities for widespread and cheap dissemination of ideasharness social media and aim to go viral.

Most improved publication

GOLD Aurora (Catholic Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle) editor Tracey Edstein

JMS

Best regional publication

GOLD Tasmanian Catholic editors Mary-Anne Johnson & Pip Atkinson

JMS

This paper has won before; but its extensive regional coverage which tries to go beyond the main centres, plus its attractive layout, good reviews and wide range of local advertising makes it stand out in this category.

SILVER Aurora (Catholic Diocese of MaitlandNewcastle) editor Tracey Edstein

Taking a bold step in going out to a non-church public, this paper has refreshed its look and approach to Christian stories and tailored the headings and photos to a non-church but strongly regional audience. Story content is a little pedestrian but great photographs add to its appeal.

Aurora has taken a huge step by moving from a church-distributed magazine to being a monthly supplement in the daily Newcastle Herald. This meant a change in format but more importantly a change in the way stories were approached, headlined and written, to appeal to a nonchurch audience. At the same time the paper is clearly offering an alternative value system and a Christian perspective on the issues of the day. A bold initiative which has increased both circulation and advertising, and a marked improvement in the publication.

SILVER The Southern Cross (Catholic Archdiocese of Adelaide) editor Jenny Brinkworth
Remaining tabloid, The Southern Cross resisted the trend to magazine format (having tried it once before) but improved its paper. This meant much better quality photograph reproduction, enhanced by reducing the number and selecting for impact. This paper reduced

its print copy distribution from 50,000 to just under 10,000 copies and meets the diocesan schools readership needs with a digital copy (reproducing the page format) plus videos and links. It also introduced a $2 cover charge for the hard copies, sharing the proceeds with parishes to encourage them to sell more, but the new look makes it seem worth the money. As well as church-related mostly staff-written news, it continues to carry a few substantial articles, meeting the needs of its faithful older readers for thoughtful, in-depth material.
No bronze award.

Attractive engaging site with lots of content. Design allows display of the wide range of content without overwhelming the user. Great to see lots of options for sharing the content. Allowing comments on articles encourages interactivity.

BRONZE journeyonline.com.au Journey (UCA, Synod of Queensland) web designer Osker Lau & the Journey team
Wide variety of content, good layout. Great use of imagery with content. The mega menu is a great choice for allowing discovery of content quickly and easily. General Comments: Fantastic to see sites displaying modern web design layout. The site architecture has clearly been thought about with labeling generally intuitive and content placed in logical groups. Attention still needs to be paid to the content itself though, not just the design. Web content needs to be concise with short sentences, subheadings and plain language.

General Comments: While much of the improvement in these entries relates to appearance, there is also the less obvious but more important element of improved content. Some of the entries had made little obvious change in look, but had overhauled their style and range of contributors. Others had gone for public relations punch which improved their appeal, particularly to advertisers, but at the expense of original news and devotional content. Reliance on stories supplied by church agencies with professional writers and photographers was most evident in many entries, understandable given the often tiny staff of these church publications. Judging was made a lot easier by the requirement to include a letter with each entry, outlining the changes and the background to them.

Best electronic publication

GOLD eurekastreet.com.au (Jesuit Communications) editor Michael Mullins and Tim Kroenert

JMS

Best website

sponsored by Bible Society NZ GOLD nzcms.org.nz Intermission (NZ Church Missionary Society) editor Sophia Sinclair

FB

Lovely clean modern design. Intuitive labeling and logical menu structure. Good use of Facebook and YouTube for interactivity. The site shows a clear purpose to the content. Great homepage layout gives clear direction for navigation.

The division of content into specific topics, eg politics, sport, media etc, provides readers with clear indicators of the content which allows easy skimming on the site and the daily email. It is good to see content can be shared easily and comments on articles are allowed. The stories are wide-ranging and topical which holds attention.

SILVER cathnews.com CathNew/CathNews Perspectives editor-in-chief Michael Visontay

This publication is a significant content producer. The writing is consistent, prolific and up-to-date. The opinion pieces are an excellent companion to news articles. The articles are well written for easy web reading.

SILVER insights.uca.org.au Insights (Uniting Church in Australia, Synod of NSW & the ACT) web designer Esther Butcher

BRONZE Synod News LinkWELL Electronic Synod News (Anglican Diocese of Wellington) editor Mary Houston
This targeted publication was an excellent summary of a specific event. It is well formatted for digital or hard copy reading. The many images enhanced the publication. General Comments: Electronic publication now goes beyond just making content available digitally. It is about using traditional journalism

skills while also providing the information in multiple forms for readers to receive as they choose. Electronic publication these days is also not a one-way broadcast system any more. Readers expect to be able to interact with content. They expect to comment and share. It was pleasing to see entrants understanding this and ensuring their content was nomadic, it easily moved to social networking sites. Great to see commenting and feedback was encouraged by publishers.

The Premier Annual Award of the Australasian Religious Press Association

Julie Belding, M.A. (Hons.), B. Th., has been a member of ARPA for 20 years and during that time has contributed immeasurably to both the profession of Christian journalism and to the growth, governance and good health of our Association. Julies service to, and practical involvement in, our profession preceded her years in ARPA when she joined the New Zealand Christian Writers Guild in 1987 and then served as its President from 1993 to 2003. A constant encourager and mentor, Julie has organised and presented at many workshops and retreats for Christian writers in New Zealand in recent decades and is currently working on producing a distance education course for Christian writers. Julie edited the New Zealand Baptist for 10 years from 1992 and that was followed by editing Daystar for nine years. She was then assistant editor and now editor of LiFT Magazine. As well, Julie has edited numerous Christian publications, notably for the Asia Theological Association. Her professionalism and consistently high standards are evidenced throughout publications for which she has had responsibility, having won at least two ARPA awards and been highly commended in another two. Julies service to our Association is both extensive and exemplary. In 2007 she chaired the organising committee when the annual conference, titled Word Power, was held in Auckland. Julie was elected Vice President, New Zealand, of our Association in 2006 a position she still holds today. She is also the Associations New Zealand Chapter Coordinator. In the latter position Julie has made a point of visiting all New Zealander sub-chapters and for five years organised bi-monthlynow quarterlylunch-time meetings of ARPA members and others in the profession, in Auckland. These meetings regularly attract at least 12 people. Further, to keep New Zealand ARPA members informed, she produces a quarterly newsletter, Scuttlebutt. As a direct result of her efforts many new members have joined ARPA. As a member of our Associations Executive, Julie has given selflessly of her time and expertise. Her thoughtful approach and measured contributions have helped progress the work of ARPA and her wise counsel has been invaluable, especially when challenging issues have arisen. It is therefore my great pleasure to name Julie Belding as the very worthy recipient of the Gutenberg Award for 2012.
Errol Pike President, ARPA Awards presenters: AS Allan Sauer, Executive Officer, ARPA; JMS Julia Stuart, Judging Coordinator, 2012 Ansvar Insurance ARPA Awards for Excellence in Christian Publishing and Journalism; JS John Sandeman for Bible Society Australia; CH Christine Hogan for Church Resources; FB Francis Burdett, CEO, Bible Society New Zealand; AM Andrew Moon, CEO, Ansvar Insurance, Australasia.

THE 2012 GUTENBERG AWARD